


To ashes

by Subtle_Shenanigans



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: BOTW compliant only, Blood moon, Coincidence, Don’t copy to another site, Frustration, Gen, Humour, Link can be a jerk, Monsters, Mostly Silent Protagonist, Quests, Respawning, Runes, Shenanigans, Silent Protagonist, Trouble, Yiga, basically my playthrough and struggles with it, because the Koroks are, hinox - Freeform, lizal, no bets we die like men, shrines, slice of life?, the champions of old
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-08
Updated: 2019-07-28
Packaged: 2020-06-03 19:48:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,303
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19470940
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Subtle_Shenanigans/pseuds/Subtle_Shenanigans
Summary: ‘There is something startling as the moon glows, larger than before, horrible and aching like an eye that’s been ripped out of something’s head -Around him, ashes rise from the ground, corpses soaked in blood disintegrating and falling as though through an updraft.It’s horrible, and gruesome, and maybe, just a tad bit striking.But his gut isn’t clenching with the horrific beauty of it all; no.It’s the Hinox rebuilding into shape before him, darker and stronger than before.’In which Link has terrible luck with Blood Moons, amongst other idiotic shenanigans, because apparently my powers of coincidence backfire and I play games backwards.





	1. Well, this is happening, isn’t it?

**Author's Note:**

> So, I’ve been really enjoying BOTW - it’s my first LOZ game. And Link???? Is adorable??? Good boy but sassy???
> 
> I Love the headcanon that he can talk but seldom does - partially because he just doesn’t feel inclined to, partially because Hylian Knights take a vow of silence sort of thing. So he’ll be occasionally verbal in this.
> 
> But yeah no this first chapter is just a novelized version of what happened to me with the “Three Brothers” shrine quest thing.
> 
> I have the _worst_ luck with Blood Moons.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This series won’t only be blood moon mishaps but I will mention two for sure; others will be silliness drabbles.
> 
> But yes, this did all happen to me and this is how I game-wise dealt with it. Just added in Link’s thoughts for flair.

When Link has first stumbled upon the slightly-flooded woods, he had a feeling that _something_ would be there.

What, he did not know; he was, after all, and amnesiac who was supposed to be a mighty champion of Hyrule, so he tended to rely on his instincts more than most.

And, as luck would have it, trundling down the path her found on of those glowing orbs for activating shrines.

Also, as _his_ luck would have it, it was dangling down the side of a Hinox’s neck.

Link blinked owlishly. _Well, at least it’s just one._

It took not a moment for him to scamper up to it, not an ounce of trepidation in him. He could feel Urbosa urging him on, and Mipha’s gentle hold on his strength at the ready.

He didn’t feel like messing around today; more often than not he’d stumbled across Shrines needing all of his energy. He felt the thundering Gerudo energy as he called upon Urbosa’s fury, not once, but _twice_.

His hair stood up around him as the lightning shattered forth, and the Hinox melted away, leaving remnants behind, as well as the orb.

He collected what he could and then, grabbing the orb, looked around.

There was a path back the way he came, a way forward, and potentially a path up the mountain. He recalled upon entering the flooded forest floor that there had been another way to go. But, well, he’d have to double back and carry the orb all that way.

Then again, Shrines tended to not make much sense, and the other direction seemed to crawl upwards, as did the hill.

After a moments hesitation, he doubled back.

* * *

He had been trudging through water, the bottom of his pant legs wet and weighed down, for a better part of a few hours. He set aside the orb momentarily to kill some monsters and scout ahead.

By time he got back, though, the orb was gone.

_By Hylia herself-_

He was more than a little irritated, but he took a deep breath and let it go. 

Tracking back took the better part of two hours, but fortunately, the orb had reappeared in its previous spot on the Hinox’s sleep hill. He stopped and thought, and, deciding it would be better to leave it here and scout ahead.

_Koroking seeds,_ He cursed silently.

The other path brought him to another Hinox and orb.

A _bigger_ Hinox.

With an inaudible grumble he climbed his way up some arching ribs that ‘walled’ the Hinox’s sleep hill. 

He caught his breath for a moment, then, with something flickering on his face that _could_ have been a smirk, he tossed a round remote bomb at the Hinox.

It was, understandably, not pleased with the rude wake up call.

At the rattling roar, Link balances himself and grabbed a square remote bomb while the round one recharged: it gave the desired affect, and the Hinox fell onto its behind, giving a garbled scream and clutching at its single eye. If he hadn’t known that Monsters weren’t exactly sentient, (and somewhat immortal, technically, I mean, they came back to life?) he would have felt bad.

Instead he kept switching between the two types of bombs and chucking them down, the detonations ringing in tandem.

It took what seemed forever to take the larger Hinox down, but, eventually he did it, paragliding off of the arching rib and dropping down below to reap his rewards, mainly the orb.

He picked it up, chipper, and turned back around; he figured that the orbs were needed along the path leading up the hill that he had seen earlier. He just needed to bring this one up, then grab the other, easy-peasy. 

Except it wasn’t, because as he rounded the bend flickering, bloody ash started to raise from the ground as an ominous glowing moon rose over the corner. The air grew thick and harsh with a red haze, and every hair on his body stood on end as pure Malice swamped over him.

_By Hylia’s descendant!_

It was the damn blood moon.

Link didn’t know if it was the malice or his own frustrations that seized hold of him; all he knew is that he gotta his teeth and clenched his eyes shut as Zelda’s voice boomed like a bell through his mind, with the same warning she gave during each blood moon

_‘Be careful, Link!’_

And, even with his eyes closed, something soft yet heavy and dark, like purple spot, collected with the malice in his mind’s eye, taking shape-

And then the blood moon was over and Link doubled over, gasping and choking on the fading traces of Malice.

When he was done, he got up and sighed wearily.

The Hinox was back, with a new orb.

* * *

He tried the old orbs, first, but they faded in blue light like dust.

He didn’t know why Sheikah magic worked the way it did; he just knew that it was frustrating.

* * *

Of course, he read the inscription first, and found to his frustration that he needed _three_ orbs.

For the youngest of the three siblings(?) he went back to his climb-and-haphazardly-throw-bombs-plan; it worked for the most part, though he wasn’t at the best angle for it and for injured from a thrown rock. He simply got it in the eye with an arrow and then whipped the blood off of its face, as it’s body collapsed into the weird purple silt.

If there _were_ three of increasing difficulty, then Link really wasn’t in for a fun time.

At least the blood moon wouldn’t screw it up this time.

Fortunately, he felt Urbosa’s Fury recharge, and didn’t hesitate once he got through the second sibling.

The last one had smaller, lesser monsters around it: Bokoblins, that Link took down efficiently and silently. Then, scaling the ribs once more, he began his bomb strategy.

At once point the oldest Hinox managed to knock him down, so with Stasis he paused it in order to ready Urbosa’s fury. A few solid whacks, and it was done.

Although he had to carry the orb all that way.

(At least there were a few half-sunken chests to uncover. Hylia, he loved the Magnesis feature.)

Link felt himself relax once the shrine appeared, and even further when he entered, and found it to be a blessing shrine.

Once he left, he proceeded to go to an inn; he needed a long rest after that ordeal.

At least he probably won’t get as bad of luck again.


	2. The tide with the moon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ve probably got two more specific experiences after this I’ll share, and then more minor things.

He finds that the current isn’t kind as it washes him ashore; his world turns dark and all he owns (including his _clothes_ ) are stripped from him without a sensation. They were there, and then not. It all just Was.

At least the island is tepid, rather than cold. There’s a voice (undoubtedly one of the monks) speaking with a tolling voice what his trial shall be.

It’s no different from when he first Awoke, so he shrugs it off and goes straight at it. Link is resourceful after all.

Plus, he still has his Slate, and the presence of both Mipha and Revali to back him up.

But just as he’s begun his challenge, he _feels_ that. . .indescribable feeling of the moon, and turns to see as bleeding ash rises to it.

His vision doesn’t fade so much as it consumed by the malignant moon; there’s a draw on his own heart and his teeth ache and his eyes burn, and then-

And then the monsters come alive again.

* * *

To say he’s pissed is a bit of an understatement. At some point he is rendered to the dark of nothing, and wakes to Before the island. Before the Blood Moon.

He decided to come back later after the next one.


End file.
